From an Antique Land
by b. alexander
Summary: Adrian Veidt has just returned to New York and now must deal with the horrors that he caused to save humanity. As he struggles to build his utopia, Adrian discovers he's more human then he ever thought.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Watchmen or anything related to the story.... Alan Moore got it first.

Please read and review :D

From an Antique Land

Chapter 1

Four days had pasted since Dr. Manhattan has decimated the world's great cities. Some believed he had simply grown tired of the inferior human race, others believed he had become resentful of the American government because they used him for so many years. A small minority thought that maybe Dr. Manhattan, believing himself to be a god, chose to punish the world for flirting with the idea of Nuclear War. Whatever the reason, the god like man had murdered millions and the world knowing only together did they have a chance, if any at all, to protect themselves from the indestructible man.

Husbands became widows, mothers become childless, and children became parentless. All over the world the air carried devastation and pain. For awhile no one knew what to do but out of anger and the sure will to survive man rose from the ashes and carried on. But only with a grudge that would last for decades. The world united over the common hate for the man who they had once believed to be their guide to the future. While the burn of hate manifested in to a fire storm that demanded Manhattan's blood the world did not realize that they had been scammed into peace and unity not by the world's most powerful being but the world's smartest man: Adrian Veidt.

This knowledge weighted heavily on Adrian's mind as he flew back to New York from Karnack, his Antarctic laboratory. He had framed a dear friend of mass murder and slaughtered millions of people but it had to be done ... right? He knew that if he hadn't done it the entire world would have been subject to horrors never dreamed of. _Millions to save Billions_ he kept thinking. _What if it doesn't work, what if this was a complete waste? No it had to be done_ he protested, _there is hope now. Before man was completely doomed to extinction but now there was a chance for survival_. No matter how often Adrian repeated these thoughts the knot that grew in his stomach became tighter and tighter with every breath he took. _What happens now_? Adrian knew it was up to him to repair the world and finally build the utopia that man had been in search of for much too long. He just couldn't stop the weight coming down on his chest. Guilt had finally appeared and was not kind to Adrian. Not in the least.

As he boarded the helicopter to Veidt Tower, he tired to shake off the feeling. While they flew over New York Adrian had to turn away. He wasn't ready to face reality of his crimes. He had to rebuild the city before he would ever be able to look upon the skyline again. The sinking feeling reared its ugly head. Adrian bit down on his lip and choked back the tears. He wanted to wail as an infant would but he had to be strong for the entirety of man as a species. His body began to shake violently; it was getting hard to breath.

"Mr. Veidt, we are approaching the Veidt tower," the co-pilot peered out of the cockpit. Adrian snapped back into his composed character, "Mr. Veidt your lip is bleeding very badly." The pilot disappeared for a moment and returned with a fist full of tissues. He passed them to Adrian.

"Thank you Mr. Rossi," Adrian said as he took the tissues. He took a deep breath to hide his emotions from the pilot as he placed them to the tear in his lip. He didn't even notice that he had torn open the wound the Daniel had given him. When he pulled the tissues back he was surprised to see how much blood there was. The tissues were no longer white but soaked red.

"Mr. Veidt, would you like us to take you to a hospital first? You've been hurt pretty bad, you were exposed to the freezing air for who knows how long. You could have hyperthermia. Please Mr. Veidt, let us take you to a hospital," the pilot protested. His brow furrowed and his face crinkled with concern. Adrian wondered if the man would care so much if he knew that it was Adrian who had committed the crime.

"No Mr. Rossi, I am fine. I wish to resume work immediately. I have to do something to help these people, I feel responsible for them. Please proceed to land at Veidt Tower," Adrian waved his hand, motioning the pilot back to the cockpit. With some hesitation the man complied.

Adrian couldn't worry about himself any more. He knew he had to be the man who took charge and lead the world to its utopia. He could never again put himself first.

"Beginning our descent to Veidt Tower. Please prepare for landing," the pilot announced.

Adrian grasped his seatbelt and fastened it. His hand seared with pain from the gunshot wound. He took his last breath filled with doubts and exhaled. He had to face the consequences of what he had done. He had to face the women's faces as the mourned their husbands, as the children wept for they had lost their mothers. He had to restore the innocence that he had just snatched away. He could never be weak again.... for their sakes. As the helicopter landed a chill ran down Adrian's spine.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Watchmen or anything related to the story.... Alan Moore got it first.

Please read and review :D

From an Antique Land

Chapter 2

Adrian entered his office, closing the door ever so carefully. It felt fragile, just like the world. Everything felt so fragile as if a small stir might send everything crashing down.

Veidt Tower had been as second home for so many years but this time walking into it, it felt completely alien. _Why do I feel like this?_ His head felt like it was swirling, he couldn't seem to make sense out of anything anymore. Maybe he had been in the cold to long, maybe Dan had hit him too hard, maybe it was something that Adrian didn't want to admit. He shook his head, _Knock it off, you're being an idiot, focus on your tasks._ Adrian was furious at himself, why couldn't he concentrate.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a note placed neatly on top of his desk. It wasn't in his personal secretary's writing. _Strange_ he thought. No one else left notes like that but her. Curious, he picked it up and began to read. By the time he was done Adrian wished he hadn't even seen it in the first place.

_**Mr. Veidt:**_

_**I wish to inform you that a large percentage of you work force has been compromised since the attacks. It is estimated that at least 29%, internationally, of your employees had been killed; the largest concentration being in New York at 42%. Note. These numbers are due to change as the death toll statistics have not be completed and confirmed. The Government has sent statement to all the large corporations of this nation. (Statement is also included) Since your company has lost a large portion of your work force, the Government of the United States of America has declared that you must hire new employees immediately to help with the new unemployed issue. At least 70% of New York's major offices were destroyed during the attack by Dr. Manhattan resulting in a 47% increase of unemployment in the immediate Manhattan area. It is estimated that your company will hire a projected 26% of that group to decrease the strain on the economy. **_

_**Thank you for your cooperation. **_

_**Mr. Arnold H. Lyman**_

_**Chair of the disaster relief board.**_

Adrian stared: 29 percent, 42 percent. Even though he knew some of his employees would die, it was surreal to see the numbers in black and white. They were all dead because of him. Some of those faces, faces he'd seen every day for so many years; he'd never seen them again. Adrian sighed and closed his eyes. It had to be done and he knew there were going to be sacrifices. He kept his eyes shut, the world and its problems disappeared. Everything was still, it was calming. Adrian stood there, listening to himself breathe, in and out. His chest rising and dropping. It was nice to have no thoughts running through the mind. It was peaceful, something Adrian hadn't felt since the creation of the plan. For more than ten years Adrian thought of nothing else. It was strange to think that it had finally come to fruition. A small smile appeared on Adrian's face.

The empty space of Adrian's mind suddenly was overflowing with horrific images. People screaming, crying, his secretary's face mutilated and smeared with blood. His eyes snapped open. As sudden as the images were, they were gone but Adrian felt as if his entire body had been shocked by lighting. His muscles were petrified, his heart was pounding... he was scared. Never before had he felt this. It scared him even more to be experiencing such a foreign emotion. He did not like it at all.

**Thud, thud. **

Adrian jumped. His heart could not take too much more strain. It took him a moment but Adrian realized that it was someone at the door. He opened him mouth to speak but nothing came out. He could barely whisper. Summoning all his might Adrian yelled for the person to come in. It still sounded weak he thought to himself.

The doors slowly opened, a head popped in. It was a woman who worked in the financial department of the Veidt Company, "Um... Mr. Veidt," she was clearly uncomfortable, "... sir, there is a large number of people from the media waiting in the lobby," she stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to speak. Adrian stared blankly.

"Yes...," he said to her, it wasn't anything new to have the press waiting for him.

"They wish to talk to you sir. About the... um, attacks and.... government order, sir." He could tell she was extremely uncomfortable. She averted her eyes from him, terrified if they should meet. Her body was tense.

"Ms..?" Adrian asked.

She finally looked up at him, seemingly surprised to be asked such a question. She was having a hard time finding her voice. Adrian could sympathized.

"It's Christina Lewis, Miss Lewis sir." She was still shaking.

"Are you alright Miss Lewis?" He wanted to comfort her so he spoke gently but he stayed as far back as possible, this time for his own comfort.

"Yes sir I'm well, just a bit rattled and nervous."

Adrian looked directly into her eyes, studying her. One question wouldn't leave his mind, "Did you lose someone in the attacks?"

She stared, frozen. They stared at each other for what seemed like minutes, feeling every second as it ticked by. Her eyes began to well up, "Not really sir. I mean yes but not someone close to me. It was a boy I use to go to school with in Elementary. Our birthdays were on the same day, we use to bring cupcakes to the class."

Adrian felt her grief. His spirits sunk even lower, it that was possible. His head dropped, his eyes closed. It was as if his body was shutting down. Millions to save billions, millions to save billions, millions to save billions, millions to save... the words seemed to lose their merits; they were no longer a comfort. Without lifting his head Adrian told her to announce that he would be down in half an hour. Miss. Lewis left swiftly.

Adrian pushed himself off the desk that he was leaning on. He began to strip off his old costume. Bit by bit he threw aside Ozymandias and he became Adrian Veidt. He struggled. His hand was burning, his body stiff, he could only remember one other time having this kind of difficulty taking the suit off. It was when the Comedian had pummelled him when he was young. He could barely remember that night but his ego had been severely bruised. The Comedian... Adrian scoffed. He did feel slightly bad for killing him but it had to be done. It was a bit easier to get over then some of the others Adrian had killed; he had never liked the man much, monstrous brute.

He finally got out of the suit and walked towards his closet. He had it installed for such occasions requiring a quick wardrobe change. As he walked in he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked a fright. His blond hair, usually slicked back ever so perfectly was askew. Strains every which way, it looked untameable. His face was covered in cuts and scratches. His lip was slightly swollen. He leaned in closer to examine the damage. _My, my,_ he thought, _what am I going to do about this?_ He'd think of something clever to say, the media would take it as gospel truth. It was like a puppet show and he was always the puppet master but then again, it wasn't very difficult to do. Dress a man in a suit and tie, let him run a mildly successful business and there you go, instant approval. And once you have that, the media dances to your tune. He had seen it time and time again. He began to turn away when he saw his back. Almost everywhere was black and blue_. Must have been Dan when he smashed me into the screens._ He stood there for awhile examining it. He'd never see Dan again. Even though they hadn't seen too much of each other in recent years, he had always had a soft spot for Daniel. He was like a little brother that needed protecting. With a sigh Adrian accepted that he'd never see Dan again; it was a personal sacrifice that he had to make. _Too bad_ he thought, _too bad_.

He picked his suit, black of course with a blue tie, and dressed. Then he attempted to groom himself. _Not too bad, yes, this is acceptable_ he thought. He left the security of his office, it was time to begin phase ll: rebuilding.

As he rode the elevator down to the lobby, Adrian prepared himself. He thought of all the things that they might throw at him. He was a bit nervous; this was the first press conference that actually mattered to him. The elevator dinged as it hit the first floor. He took a breath and the doors began to slid open.

A mass of people came flying at him. Flashes lit the entire hall. The voices echoed. Adrian's senses were over loading. He quickly composed himself. He greeted them with a smile and pushed himself through the crowd. He made his way to a make shift stage that had been set up underneath the lobby clock. _Five minutes to twelve._ Adrian laughed to himself, _of course_. With each step he took, he stepped closer to salvation for mankind. He was finally going to save this world. It was a comforting thought.

When he reached the microphone a flurry of flashes and voices bombarded him. He raised a hand calling for their silence. A hush came over the room. He was ready to begin fulfilling his purpose. This was the old Adrian; confidant and strong.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I am sorry to say that I have a limited amount of time to give you so I will give a statement on the current affairs but I will not be able to stay for a question and answer period," the room buzzed, again Adrian motioned for their silence, "Four days ago, Dr. Manhattan committed an atrocious act, the likes which have never been witnessed in our time. I extend my most heartfelt sympathies to those who perished and to those who remain. I know what it is like to lose loved ones," everyone was silent, hanging on his every word. He desperately hoped that his sorrow would reach the families that he had torn apart, "The Veidt Corporation will be working closely with the communities of New York and the world as a whole. We will directly help with the rebuilding of infrastructure and promoting community programs and services to aid those in need both physically and emotionally. Also we wish to help promote international unity to help build stronger ties with the global community. Now to matters closer to home. The Veidt Corporation has been ordered by the Government to help the unemployment issue that has risen due to the attacks. We are more than glad to comply. In three days time we will be holding a career fair to fill both full-time and part-time jobs. That is all I have time for today. Again, my sympathies go out to you all. Have a good day. Thank you for your time."

Adrian backed away from the podium and made his way back to his office. Reporters chased after him yelling questions. Out of the corner of his eye Adrian saw Miss. Lewis cradling another woman in her arms. The woman was sobbing. She collapsed taking Lewis with her. Miss. Lewis looked up, her eyes wet with tears, and smiled. _Thank you_ she mouthed.

Adrian was silent as he rode the elevator back up. He didn't feel good. He felt bad. These people saw him as a hero, their savour. If it weren't for him they wouldn't be in this much pain. _No I am a hero, I'm doing this to save them_. He didn't feel any better. He wanted to be back in his office, his sanctuary, but the elevator seemed to be teasing him, slowing its speed with every floor he gained. Finally he reached his floor. In a burst of energy Adrian sprinted to his office. A lump had developed in his throat, it hurt to breath. He swung open the heavy wooden doors and slammed them behind him. He desperately tried to catch his breath. He leaned his back against the doors for support but it was too much. He crumbled. Falling to the floor, he wrapped his arms around his body, binding himself into a tight vice. He began to wail. He hadn't cried like that since he was a very small boy. Between each heave Adrian wished that everything would disappear.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Watchmen or anything related to the story.... Alan Moore got it first.

Please read and review :D

From an Antique Land

Chapter 3

Adrian woke up the next morning at his penthouse apartment but with a splitting headache. The last few nights had been the most horrible nights that Adrian had experienced in recent years. He hadn't had a single night without cold sweats or waking up, screaming in fright. Every night; it was always nightmares. Death in the streets, blood seeping down the sides of buildings, tears drowning him; every night it was the same thing.

As he opened his eyes the sun flooded the room. _Too bright_, he thought,_ I can't see anything_. He squinted as he rose from his bed. Every muscle in his body protested movement but he had to get up. Today was the career fair. Adrian dreaded it. He just didn't have the heart to invest. Luckily, Adrian had convinced some of his remaining employees to do the interviews and hiring for their particular departments. All he had to do was meet with the people who applied for the Personal Assistant position. Luckily, Miss. Lewis had gone through the applications and weeded out the people who had no hope of getting the job. She informed Adrian that she had only left the cream of the crop.

Slowly he lifted himself off the bed and headed for the shower. In the past few days Adrian had taken the same amount of showers that he normally would have taken in a week. Something about the water was so relaxing. He wasn't haunted by images or thoughts, just the sound of the water rushing downward. He let the water pool in his hands. The wound in his palm welcomed the cool water. _Water_, he thought, _everything is better with water_. He looked down at his hands and smiled. Throwing the water into his face, Adrian proceeded to turn off the water and head to the kitchen for some breakfast.

As he stepped out the icy air rushed past him. He wished desperately to return to his little haven but shook off the shivers. He reached for a towel and wrapped it around his waist. As he walked out of the bathroom Adrian snuck a peek of himself in the mirror. The cuts on his face were almost gone and his lip revealed only a small scar. His back was healing to, the deep black and become a lighter purple. _Progress_ he thought.

He turned the corner and entered the kitchen. It was large and welcoming. Stainless steel appliances shone and granite counters glistened. He liked this room a lot and always regretted how little he had been in it. He went to his fridge and opened it. Everything he saw made his stomach queasy. Everything had been so unappealing to him lately. _I might need to go see a doctor about this, if anything happens to me; then this was all for not._ After some time Adrian finally opted for an apple. With any luck it might stay down.

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He wanted to get the interviews over with. As he sat waiting in his office Adrian couldn't stop fidgeting. He had retied his tie three times already, paced around the room, and neatly arranged a pile of papers onto his desk. _What's taking them so long?_ He thought to himself. He sat down at his desk and began to drum his fingers against the table top. Up, down, up, down, click, click, click, it was mesmerizing. His mind began to wander. What were Dan and Laurie doing right now? What about Jon? Where was he? What would be happening if Bubastis was still here, with him?

The latter thought weighted heavily on Adrian's heart. Bubastis had been his nearest and dearest friend since her creation. He remembered when the lead scientist had handed her to him for the first time. Her small furry body held close to his, their breathing was in sync. She looked up at him and purred. It was the closest thing to being in love that Adrian had felt in years. A wide smile spread across Adrian's face. She always had that affect on him. She had been with him where ever he went but then... he killed her. Adrian sighed heavily. _Bubastis, my dear Bubastis, I am so sorry_. He could feel his body begin to slightly shake.

**Thud, thud**.

_Miss. Lewis_ he thought, "Please come in." _About time_.

The door opened and Miss. Lewis popped her head in, "The applicants are ready Mr. Veidt. Would you like them to be sent in now?" A small smile spread across her face. She was getting better but Adrian knew she was still uncomfortable being around him for too long. He woundered why but could never come up with a reasonable answer.

"Yes please, have them come in. Thank you Miss. Lewis."

Miss. Lewis disappeared and in her place came a crowd of hopefuls. _Funny,_ he thought _their_ _all so young... and almost all girls_. Adrian frowned at the idea. He had never really been into girls, the squealing and high pitched voices, pointless gossip and such. _Oh boy, _he grimaced,_ this is going to be fantastic_. He rubbed his hand against his face and stood up. _Time to be Mr. Veidt, multi-billion business man_; he really wasn't looking forward to this.

"Thank you all for coming today," he scanned the room. _Nope not her, not the right image, not him, surely not her. _As he continued his speech he noticed a group of giggling girls ogling him. They batted their eyes and puffed out their lips, hoping to catch his attention. His eyes narrowed, "At Veidt Corporation we expect the high quality of professionalism from our employees. We must always take the..." _No way in hell_ he thought.

He concluded his introductions and speech. Now it was time to interview. Adrian, wanting to be efficient, chose to do a group interview. _Ask a few simple questions and move on_. As he went do the line, the choices became fewer and fewer. _No, nope, not that one, no, not right, no, no and no_. Finally he noticed a young blond woman, _good looking_ he thought, _good of public image_, "What's your name Miss?"

"Allison Holt." She was definitely beautiful. Her voice was airy.

"What's your age and previous experience?"

"I am 27 and I was the personal assistant to the late Ms. Darling."

"Ms. Darling of Vogue Magazine?"

"Yes sir."

_Impressive_, Darling had been a hard woman to please, _very impressive_. Adrian was satisfied, she might be the one. He continued down the row. A young man, clean cut and presentable. He had a lovely face; soft but strong. His body was masculine but slim. He was almost as tall as Adrian. Perfect for public image just like Miss. Holt, "Name, age and experience please."

"Phillip Parks sir. I am 29 and was the assistant to the late Editor Mr. Cartwright of the New York Times."

_Excellent_ thought Adrian _these two are perfect_. This was turning out better than he thought it ever would. With either Mr. Parks or Miss. Holt working for him so much could get done. The thought made Adrian sigh with relief. They were talented, distinguished, well spoken, professional, young, and beautiful: the whole package.

Adrian smiled at Phillip and continued down the row. _Nope, no, not for this kind of job_. Then he saw it, red hair. Adrian was not a fan of the colour, had one too many bad experiences with red heads, one in particular came to mind. He had to ask, if only to get a rise out of it. _Adrian_, he warned himself, _this is beneath you. Don't act like a child_. But the hair screamed for his full attention, challenging him, daring him to ask. He turned to the owner of the hair. It was a young woman.

"Same as before Miss." He towered over her.

She smiled as if accepting his challenge, "Roxanne Ferdinand. I am 25 years old and I use to work as the personal assistant to the late Mr. Cooper."

"The Lawyer I presume?"

"Yes sir that would have been him." She stared into his eyes never breaking focus. Her eyes were so blue. They sparkled with sincerity and passion. Adrian felt uneasy. And her name?_ Roxanne_, More than coincidence?

He studied her. Her hair was a bold red, never had he seen that colour on a human before. Her body was toned but had curves, something most women seemed to lack these days. Her face was perfectly symmetrical. Her nose was small but defined. The soft curve of her jaw lead viewers up to her lips; full and pink. Something about her struck him as odd: he couldn't look away. The other interviewees began to stir. Not want to give the wrong idea, Adrian continued down the row but those eyes remained burned into his memory.


End file.
